Dispensing device



April 13, 1943. R. T. CORNELIUS DISPENSING DEVICE Filed March 3l, 1941Rcha'rd Cornelius Patented Apr. 13, 1943 UNTED STATES "AT O F F l' CEL8` Claims.

My invention relates to beer dispensing devices andhas for an object toprovide a device in which a minimum amount of beer iskept in theconduits leading upto the faucet exteriorly of the cooling means toprevent a minimum` warming up of the iirst glass of beer drawn after thedevice hasbeen in disuse for an appreciable period of time.

Another object of the invention resides in providing a beer dispensingdevice in which gain of heat to the ybeer is greatly reduced.

Another object of the invention resides in using a thin wall ilexiblefeed tube for conducting the beer to the faucet and in employing atubular standard to which the faucet is rattached and Within which thethin wall flexible feed tube and the connectionstherefor aredisposed.

Another object of the invention resides in attaching the .faucet tothestandard near the upper portion thereof so that the feed tube andconnections are accessible through the open end of the standard.

Another object of the invention, resides in the specific constructionfor `closing the upper end of the standard.

A feature-of the invention resides in providing a basel on which thestandard rests and in thepan ticular construction.for'mounting thestandard on thebase and attaching thesame .to the counter on which thedevice is supported.

A still further object of the invention resides in providing a length ofhose between the feed tube and the tube leading iromthe source of beersupply to prevent conduction of. heat to .the latter.

An object of the invention resides in providing means for drainingcondensation accumulated on the standard `through the base and into thecooling cabinet.

Another 'object of the invention residesin the specific construction forattaching the faucet to the standard.

Other objects of the invention reside inthe novelv combination andarrangement ofV parts and in the details of construction hereinafterillustratedand/or described.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1v is-:an elevationalsectional view 'of aportion of a coolingcabinet' of a beer dispensing system together with my improved beerdispensing device mounted thereon.

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the clampbar used for securing the capto the standard.

Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 are elevational views of, the collars used in securingthe faucet tothe standard.

For the purposeA of; illustratingv the; application of my, inventionIhave shown; a portion of a cooling cabinet Ifffor a beer dispensingsystem which comprises; a4 top or counter -lI constructed with spacediinner andv outer walls I2 and I3. At suitable intervals in the top kIIare arranged separatorswhich hold the inner and outer walls I2 and. I3Yin spaced' relation. One; of these separators is indicated, aty 'I4 andconsists of a block of wood; or some; similar suitable material of theproper dimensions.l Between the wallsA I-2 and IS is provided. sui-tableinsulatingl material I5 which retards, the transfer'of heat vfrom theexterior to the interior of. the cabinet. rIfhe interior of the cabinetis indicated bythe referenceA numeral I5 and contains the; cooling coilsand a suitable cooling medium. Such construction being well knownVY inthe art and forming no particular feature of the invention has not beenillustrated in the drawing. Leading from the cooling coil of the heeddispensing system is a beer supply tube I1; which is connected tothedispensing device, as will hereinafter be more fully described.

My invention comprises a'. standard I8 which is tubular in form andwhich is preferably constructed of metal or someother suitable material.

rIfhe wall of` this tube is preferably quite .thin to prevent thestorage of an appreciableamount of heat soas toreduce thetransfer of:heatfrom the exterior to thebeer to be dispensed. The standard Itisopenat its ends. and is :closed at-its lower endrby meansofa closure I9whichisformed with an. upwardly extending ilange 2| at its outerperiphery and'withan inwardlyl extending threaded bosst22 atthe center;thereof. In the ange 2l is formed an aimularsroove 23. The standard I8xencircles the Yfia-nge 2;I.y and has a bead 24 Vformed oni it. whichis; rolled. into the groove- 23. By means ofthisconstruction'thestandard I8 is securely attached vto the-closure I9Withoutthreading or solderingofthesame.

The .standard-'lads mountedin a base25 which may be` constructedof amouldedfplastic material, orally' other. Suitable material. lIhisybasehas a bottom 26 on which the closure I9 rests, and a flange-21:extending upwardly therefrom and encircling the` saidt standard at; thelovvermostl end of 'thesamel The base .25 in addition is constructedwith a skirt 28-which projects outwardly therefrom and-which rests uponthe outer wall I2 oi the `top I-I of cabinet II and supports the baseand standard.

Thestandardl isheld attached to the top II of-4 cabinet I0 by -meansof anipple 29 which. extendsthrough an opening 3I- in the separator I4 andsimilar openings 32 and-33inthe; outer and,

inner walls I2 and I3 of said top. The nipple 29 projects below the`inner wall I3 and is threaded at such locality as designated at 34. Awasher 35 encircles the nipple 29 and bears against the underside of theinner wall I3. A nut 36 screwed upon the threads 34 of nipple 29 urgesthe washer 35 against the wall I3 and draws the closure I9 with thestandard I8 downwardly against the base 25. By means of thisconstruction the standard is rigidly attached to the top II withoutmeans visible from the exterior of the cabinet l0.

Attached to the upper end of the standard I8 is a faucet 31 which may beof any desired construction. Due to the fact the faucet forms noparticular feature of the invention the same has not been shown indetail. This faucet com-- prises a body 38 having a neck 39 issuingtherefrom and provided with an inlet passageway 4I into which beer isdirected into the faucet. The said faucet is constructed with anoperating handle 42 which controls the ow of beer from a nozzle 43. Theneck 39 extends through an opening 44 in the uppermost portion of thestandard I8 and is threaded at 45 to receive a clamp nut 48. The saidneck is reduced in diameter so that a shoulder 41 is formed between thesaid neck and the body 38 of the faucet. Between this shoulder and theouter surface of the wall of the standard I8 is provided a collar 48which is constructed at one end with a square surface 49 adapted to t upagainst the shoulder 41 and at its other end with a concave surface Iadapted to t upon the exterior of the standard I8. A similar collar 52having at one end a convex surface 53 and at its other end a squaresurface 54 encircles the neck 39 upon the interior of the standard I8. Alock washer 55 is disposed between the clamp nut 45 and the collar 52.When this nut is tightened the faucet is rigidly attached to thestandard I8 with the inner end of the neck 39 projecting interiorly intothe standard. In order to mount the faucet in proper position, thecollar 48 is constructed with key ways 56 and the neck 39 with keys 51which enter the same. Thus the faucet becomes vertically mounted andcannot be rotated when the clamp nut 46 has been tightened.

Beer is fed into the passageway 4I of faucet 31 by means of a thin wallflexible tube 58 of relatively small dimensions which extends throughthe bore 59 of nipple 29 and is disposed within the interior of thestandard I8. This tube has a bend 6I near the upper end thereof forminga laterally extending portion 62. A tube connection 63 encircles theportion 82 of the tube 58 and is threaded into the neck 39. This fittingserves to attach the tube to the faucet so as to form a leak-tightconnection therebetween. The upper end of the standard I8 is normallyopen and it will readily become apparent that the connection 63 and thetube 58 are accessible through the open end of the standard so as topermit of attaching the tube afterthe faucet has been installed.

The beer supply tube I1 is connected to the feed tube 58 in thefollowing manner: Extending across the lower end of the nipple 29 is ahead 64 which is formed with a passageway 65. The end of the tube I1 isformed with a flange 66. A flanged sleeve 61 engages the flange 66 ofthe tube. A nut 68 is screwed upon the threads 34 of nipple 29 and has afiange 89 which engages the flange of the sleeve 61. By means of thisconstruction the ange 66 is urged against a gasket 1I resting upon theend of the head 64.

When the nut 68 is suitably tightened a fluid tight connection is formedbetween the tube I1 and the bore 65 in the head 64. The head 64 hasissuing upwardly from it and within the interior of the nipple 29 a hoseconnection 12. A short length of hose 13 is attached to this hoseconnection and also to the lower end of the feed tube 58. In this mannerbeer is conducted from the tube I1 and into the tube 28. The hose 13insulates the tube 58 from the tube I1 so as to retard transfer of heatfrom the exterior to the interior of the cabinet I0 through tube 58.

The upper end of the standard I8 is closed by means of a cap 14 whichmay be constructed of a plastic material. This cap has a dependingflange 15 which is formed with an annular rabbet 16 adapted to receivethe upper end of the stand ard I8. At the center of the cap 14 is formeda boss 11 through which a wood screw 18 extends. For attaching the cap14 to the standard I8, a cross bar 19 is employed which is shown indetail in Fig. 2. This cross bar is constructed from a strip ofresilient metal which is normally bowed, as shown, and which is formedat its center with an opening 8I. The cross bar 19 is of a lengthslightly greater than the internal diameter of the standard I8 and isconstructed with sharp ends 82 adapted to bite into the surface of saidstandard when pressure is applied. In attaching the cap 14 to standardI8 the screw 18 is started in the hole 8I which forms a thread alongwhich the same may be screwed. The cap is then applied and the bar 19,if not already sufficiently bowed, is bowed enough to cause the ends 82thereof to engage the interior surface of the standard I8. When the cap14 is in position, screw 18 is screwed in a clockwise direction whichmoves the central portion of the cross bar 19 upwardly urging the ends82 into firm engagement with the inner surface of the wall of thestandard I8. Thus the cap is rigidly held attached to the standardwithout the use of threads or other means directly attached to thestandard.

The use of metal for the standard I8 causes condensation to collect uponthe exterior thereof. To dispose of such condensation an annular gutter84 is formed in the upper edge of the flange 21 of base 25. This gutterhas connected to it a number of grooves 85 which form passagewaysleading to a sump 88 within the lowermost portion of the said base. Anumber of drain pipes 81 are threaded into the base 25 and communicatewith the sump 86. These drain pipes pass through openings 88 which areformed in the top I I and discharge into the interior of the cabinet I0.Where ice is used for cooling the coil of the beer dispensing system thedischarge from the pipes 81 may be directed into the interior of thecabinet I0. If desired, the pipes 81 may be conducted to any otherlocality than the interior of the cabinet I0 to 'discharge thecondensation exteriorly thereof.

To retard heat transfer from the standard I8 to the tube 58, insulation,such as indicated at 89 in Fig. 1, may be inserted in the space betweenthe standard'IB and the tube 58. The said insulation may merely liealong the inner surface of the standard or, if desired, the entire spacemay be filled with suitable insulating material.

The advantages of my invention are manifest. An extremely simple andpractical construction is provided for the dispensing of beer. With myinvention the parts are easily accessible and may be readily inspectedand cleaned whenever desired. In a beer dispensing device constructed inaccordance with my invention only a small quantity of beer is contained'withini the conduits between the cooling cabinet and the faucet so that,when the device has stood for an appreciable length of time, thetemperature of the beer in the first glass of beer drawn will not begreatly increased. Thus it becomes possible to serve the first glass ofbeer without throwing the same away as has heretofore been the custom.With my invention condensation accumulating upon the exterior of thestandard is removed from the device. In the event that the drain groovesleading the condensation from the gutter become plugged the standard maybe removed and these grooves are readily accessible for cleaning. Withmy invention a minimum heat loss occurs so that the beer may be kept atproper temperature and at a minimum cost.

Changes in the specific form of my invention, as herein disclosed, maybe made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from thespirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protectby Letters Patent is:

1. In combination, a tubular standard constructed of relatively thinmetal open at the top and bottom and having a lateral opening at theside thereof, a faucet having a part extending through said lateralopening and providing an inlet to the faucet within the standard, meansfor attaching the faucet to the standard, a closure for the lower end ofthe standard, said closure being constructed with a flange having agroove extending about the same on the side thereof adjacent thestandard, a bead on said tube extending into said groove for attachingthe standard to the lower closure, means for feeding the liquid to bedispensed to said part of the faucet, said means extending through saidclosure, and a cap for closing the upper end of the standard.

2. In combination, a tubular standard open at its ends and having alateral opening at the side thereof, a faucet having a part extendingthrough said lateral opening, means for attaching the faucet to thestandard, a closure rigidly secured to said standard at the lower endthereof, a nipple attached to said closure and adapted to extend througha counter on which the standard is mounted, a base resting on thecounter and supporting said closure, and a nut screwed on the nipple fordrawing the nipple downwardly and holding the closure in engagement withthe base, and a tube within said nipple connected to said faucet forfeeding the liquid to be dispensed to the faucet.

3. In combination, a tubular standard open at its ends and having alateral opening at the side thereof, a faucet having a part extendingthrough said lateral opening, means for attaching the faucet to thestandard, a closure rigidly secured to said standard at the lower endthereof, a nipple attached to said closure and adapted to extend througha counter on which the standard is mounted, a base resting on thecounter and supporting said closure, a nut screwed on the nipple fordrawing the nipple downwardly and holding the closure in engagement withthe base, a tube within said nipple connected to said faucet for feedingthe liquid to be dispensed to the faucet, said base having a flangeextending upwardly therefrom and encircling the standard, said frangehaving a gutter formed therein encircling the vstandard and receivingthe condensation collecting on" the standard-,'- and a drain extendingthrough the counten-said base being formed with a passagewayconnectinglsaid gutter with said drain.

4. In combination, a tubular standard open at its ends and having alateral opening at the side thereof, a faucet having a part extendingthrough said lateral opening, means for attaching the faucet to thestandard', a closure rigidly secured to said standard at the lower endthereof, a nipple attached to said closure and adapted to extend througha counter on which the standard is mounted, a base resting on thecounter and supporting said closure, a nut screwed on the nipple fordrawing the nipple downwardly and holding the closure in engagement withthe base, a tube within said nipple connected to said faucet for feedingthe liquid to be dispensed to the faucet, said base having a flangeextending upwardly therefrom and encircling the standard, said fiangebeing constructed with a beveled inner edge forming a gutter extendingabout the standard and adapted to receive the condensation collecting onthe standard, and a drain extending through the counter, said base beingformed with a passageway communicating with said gutter and drain.

5. In combination, a tubular standard open at its ends and having alateral opening at the side thereof, a faucet having a part extendingthrough said lateral opening, means for attaching the faucet to thestandard, a closure rigidly secured to said standard at the lower endthereof, a nipple attached to said closure and adapted to extend througha counter on which the standard is mounted, a base resting on thecounter and supporting said closure, a nut screwed on the nipple fordrawing the nipple downwardly and holding the closure in engagement withthe base, a tube within said nipple connected to said faucet for feedingthe liquid to be dispensed to the faucet, said base being formed with anannular guttter extending about the standard and adapted to receive thecondensation collecting on the standard, and a drain leading away fromsaid Abase and communicating with said gutter.

6. In combination, a tubular standard open at the top and having alateral opening at the side adjacent the top, a faucet having a partextending through said lateral opening and providing an inlet to thefaucet within the stand-V ard, means for attaching said faucet to thestandard, a flexible tube within the standard for feeding a liquid to bedispensed to the faucet, connecting means for connecting the tube tosaid part of the faucet, a closure attached to the bottom of saidtubular standard, conduit means connected to said closure, a fittingconnected to said conduit means and a hose between said fitting andflexible tube.

7. In combination, a tubular standard open at its lower end, a faucetattached to said standard, a closure rigidly secured to the standard atthe lower end thereof, means extending through said closure and saidstandard for feeding the liquid to be dispensed to the faucet, a basehaving a flange extending upwardly therefrom, said standard beingreceived within said base with the closure resting on said base, saidflange providing a gutter encircling the standard and receiving thecondensation collected on the standard, a drain, said base being formedwith a passageway connecting said gutter with said drain, and means forholding said standard in position on said hase.

8. In combination, a tubular standard open at its lower end, a faucetattached to said standard, a closure rigidly secured to the standard atthe lower end thereof, means extending through said closure and saidstandard for feeding the liquid to be dispensed to the faucet, a basehaving a ange extending upwardly therefrom, said standard being receivedWithin said 10 base with the closure resting on said base, said iiangeproviding a gutter encircling the standard and receiving thecondensation collected on the standard, a drain, said base being formedwith grooves providing passageways between said base and closure andconnecting said gutter with said drain and means for holding saidstandard in position on said base.

RICHARD T. CORNELIUS.

